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Category: Books

Dave Hutchinson Europe in Autumn An intriguing tale of a near future europe splintering into hundreds of small states. Through and across it range the “coureurs des bois” smugglers and traders in anything anyone wants. The novel is part science fiction part a Le Carre spy story and is an excellent romp, with some twists setting … More May books

Most of April was taken up with reading books for the 1938 club. Posts on these books can be found here and here. Outside of the club I had a visit to my childhood and read some Enid Blyton. It’s an enjoyable romp, spoiled by the terrible racism in the portrayal of the character “Jo-Jo”. … More April books

The Chrysanthemums is a short story by John Stienbeck. It’s a atmospheric tale of a farm wife’s encounter with a travelling pots and pans repair man. Not really much happens and it’s all very understated as the theme conveys Elisa’s sense of isolation and dissatisfaction with her life. The high grey-flannel fog of winter closed … More Steinbeck, Orwell and Wodehouse #1938 club

Escapism comes in many forms. It can be an alien monster intent on killing all humans, or a middle-aged governess (failed) discovering an alternative life. I’ve read these two stories as part of the 1938 Club. You can find out more about this over at the Stuck In A Book blog. There really is no … More Miss Pettigrew versus The Thing

Ian Rankin – Hide and Seek Continuing my rereading of the Rebus novels. Rebus still not fully formed as a character yet but still an enjoyable crime novel. NK Jemison – The Fifth Season A new SF author for me and an excellent novel based on a world riven by geological catastrophes. John Galsworthy – … More March books

Kate Atkinson – A God in Ruins This book, has been described as a companion piece to “Life After Life” as it concentrates on the character of Toby the RAF pilot from the previous novel. I found this to be a tremendously moving book, and I became terribly involved in the characters. So much so that … More February books

I’ve written this post as part of Book Bloggers’ Appreciation Week (hosted by The Estella Society). Day 1 asks you to introduce yourself by listing five books that represent you as a person or your interests/lifestyle. It sort of piqued my interest so heres my contribution. This may seem an eclectic selection but I’ve got wide reading … More Book Blogger Appreciation Week Day 1 : Introduce Yourself!

I’m going to try to keep a record of what I read this year. I often think back and can’t remember, so this should act as a reading diary for me. The Woolf is part of my participation in the year long #woolfalong. Virginia Woolf – Mrs Dalloway A hallucinatory, dream like dissection of one … More January books

‘the thing that matters is to take your life into your own hands and live it, accepting responsibility for failure or success. The really fatal thing to do is to let other people make your choices for you, and then to blame them if your schemes should fail and they despise you for the failure.’ … More The Crowded Street – Winifred Holtby